Anchorage to LA: Animals, Past & Present

My firstborn, Laura Jean, graduated from Columbia University with a MFA in 2010. We talked about taking a train trip across Canada to celebrate but life got in the way. Fast forward to present: she and her partner, Tye, relocated to Los Angeles first of June. The Ranger truck that brought me to Alaska eleven years ago was ready for some warmer temps so LJ & I cooked up a belated mother/daughter celebration trip: Anchorage to LA.

She flew into Anchorage Tuesday, the evening of the 13th. I picked her up and off we went. I was looking forward to driving out the Glenn Highway with her 1)because I believe it to be an incredibly beautiful drive and 2)even though this would be her sixth visit to The Last Frontier, she'd never trekked in this direction. It rained most of the way. The sweeping vistas were lost in the clouds. We saw a calf moose that appeared to have been swept down the Matanuska River desperately bleating for mom and mourned for a moment the sometimes random cruelty in the circle of life. The midnight sun finally broke through about the time we decided to call it a night at Dry Creek Campground. The plan was to sleep on a blow-up mattress in the bed of the truck (yes, there was at least a camper top.) It was too late to plug in the inflator so we crawled in, giggled, snuggled and shivered for about four hours. 

Wednesday's drive began EARLY. We took turns driving & napping enjoying a beautiful, clear day. Glennallen to Tok then into the Yukon Territory. We saw three grizzlies! We saw moose. LJ spotted a lynx. We even saw a swan on her nest, and some pretty great vistas as well. We watched the St Elias Mountains from Alaska through the Yukon commenting on their ruggedness and stature. At Kluane National Park we found out that they are the youngest mountains in the world. No wonder they are so sassy. 

Since we got such an early start we decided to try and make it to WhiteHorse. Did anyone hear about the crazy cold weather system (June snow, etc) in the Yukon? We decided to get a room. Not ONE single room available in WhiteHorse. I may have begun to be a wee bit cranky pants. Fortunately a hot-out-of-the-oven cinnamon roll at 11 pm, a warm bed in Teslin, and a good night's sleep made for a fresh start.

The goal for Thursday was the Cassiar Highway through British Columbia. I chose this route because it is less traveled, has potential for more wildlife spotting, and has some drop-dead gorgeous scenery. Greg & I drove it when driving the motor home out in 2010. It started raining. LJ and I had a discussion at elevated decibels. If we had not seen all the wildlife, it very well could have been a bust. BUT we. saw. some. wildlife. Ten black bears doing all kinds of bear things. Bull moose at the edge of a lake. Several beavers. Moose taking a midnight swim. Oh, you noticed it was ANOTHER late night? Yeah, we were holding out for a lodge we saw advertised along the way. Arrived to find it closed at eight. Drove on to Meziadin Junction. I was blurry-eyed, bone-deep tired. It was cold. No choice but try camping in the back again. With about as much success as the first night. 

Midday Friday we stopped in Vanderhoof, the geographical center of British Columbia, to regroup. We were almost halfway into our journey in just three days! This pace was killing me. We checked in, chilled out, napped, walked (me), read, and caught up on streaming favorite CBC show (LJ). That night I chased some northern lights to no avail. Got a slow start the next day and headed toward Jasper National Park. 

Passed through lush farmland framed by jagged mountains as we entered Alberta. Saw more animals. When we stopped to photograph a couple of grizzlies I suggested LJ open the door and stand on the running board (unlike the crazies who walk up closer to WILDlife to get a better picture.) She opened the door then hesitated pointing out the window. Standing less than 10 feet away on the edge of the woods was a beautiful elk. Before we stopped for the evening we saw five more elk, eight big horn sheep, a momma black bear with two tiny cubs and a couple of deer. Took the windy road to some hot springs but ixnayed because they looked like a crowded swimming pool. Chena has spoiled me.

Slept in Hinton then hit the Icefields Parkway which was the Jasper/Banff National Parks connection. If the couple of days previous had been "animal" days, this was a "glacier/waterfall" day. Breathtaking mountain scenery interspersed with glaciers, rivers and waterfalls. It was still cool and then there were all those, you know, BEARS, so LJ had no interest in hiking. Bonus for the day were sightings of more bighorn sheep and and a momma black bear with two itty, bitty cubs.

We left Banff headed east through Calgary. Next destination: Drumheller, home of the world famous Royal Tyrell Paleontology Museum. We left the mountains behind and traded them for plains as far as the eye could see. As we entered Drumheller we dropped below the plains line into Alberta Badlands. Striated hoo-doo outcroppings dominated the landscape. Found a provincial (think: state) park twenty miles out of town, lit a fire, warmed a meal, watched the sun fall below our own private lake, climbed in to sleep. Dang. We just didn't bring a sleeping bag rated for the weather. About one we headed back into town and gave up on camping. 

We had been aiming toward the Royal Tyrell as our destination since leaving Anchorage. It did not disappoint. LJ has been interested in dinosaurs since she was a wee one; her imaginary friend was even a brontosaurus. We both thought the displays were educational as well as freaking cool. Left there and drove a couple hours east to Dinosaur Provincial Park where many of the Tyrell skeletons had been excavated. Very. Good. Day. 

Slept in Brooks, early start, breakfast at yummy Mennonite bakery in Warner then pointed south towards Montana. LJ had previously found Fairy Lake, a beautiful snow-fed lake north of Bozeman, on the internet. It was our destination for the day. Unfortunately one had to travel six miles over a rutted-rocky-non-maintained dirt road to get there. LJ felt 15 mph was adequate; I preferred 5 mph. I waded up to my shins. It was SO cold that it hurt. Quick brain calculation: I don't swim in water like this in Alaska, why would I here? Turned around. LJ waxed about how she LOVED to jump in natural lakes, streams, creeks. I do too. But. 

She did it. Ohmygawd. She waded out and actually went under. Twice. Granted there was some yelling and carrying on. But she did it. Told her she had bragging rights for life. I hiked around the perimeter and called it good. 

Ate in Bozeman then headed south. Destination Chester, ID for sleep. Passed through western Yellowstone with her driving. Admit that I was a bit nervous that either a bison or an elk might step out into our path. Got out of the park and was breathing easier when a freaking huge COUGAR leapt into our path. She slammed on the breaks and just clipped it. Whaaaaa? Unbelievable. We exclaimed all the way to the hotel.

Slept in then plotted next course of action. The one place I wanted to check off my bucket list from this trip was Antelope Canyon. Note to self: height of tourist season, reservations sooner than day before give you more options. Finally found a tour & place to stay and off we went on another hard day of driving through southern Idaho and all the way through Utah. Our only stop besides gas was Hires in Salt Lake--for one of the best burgers in the country. Was immensely thankful that Greg had insisted on fixing the air conditioner; we were heading into an intense heat wave. At sunset we watched the Brian Head fire billow smoke from about twenty miles away. As dusk descended we watched the horizon ember glow.

Thursday dawned hot on the way to a scorcher. Stopped by to pick up canyon tour tickets. Instructed to drink as much water as possible before tour began; we each downed two water bottles. Had also frozen wet bandanas night before for our necks. We tooled around the area then off we went--just two couples and a guide. We moved through Upper Antelope Canyon taking a gazillion pictures of the swirling walls and listening to stories sandwiched between two other larger groups. We finished and drove on to Rattlesnake Canyon which we had all to ourselves. Moved at a more leisurely pace--a most enjoyable afternoon. 

We climbed out of the canyon, the poison ball searing overhead, and began walking over a rock shelf toward the vehicle which was only a football field away, I hesitated and said, "I'm from Alaska, I think I need to sit down for a minute." Laura Jean picks up the story: she sat down with me and put her arm around me before I went limp & crumpled like a rag doll. They were speaking to me but I was unresponsive. Guide wrapped a wet towel around my neck. LJ said her panic reflexes kicked in when my whole body started twitching. She said her only thought was how to try & cool my body down--fast. She dumped a bottle of water on my head and I revived a bit before checking out again. She grabbed another and poured on my body which brought me back. The guys propped me up enough to start walking me back. Was on my own before we got back in the vehicle. 

Wish I could tell you I had some cool out-of-body experience but just felt totally drained. Checked my phone & it said temp was 105. Ah, what a memory for first day of summer, 2017! (Greg said we can mark the day I got old.) I'm thinking Laura Jean saved my life. Stayed the night in Kanab, UT at Parry Lodge--where all the movie stars slept during the 1930s-50s western heyday.

Utah, Nevada, California...boom chakalaka...checked them off as we drove through. Got into Los Angeles as the sun set. Saturday was a day around the efficient studio apartment nesting & hanging pictures. Ate at Yang Chow in Chinatown. Sunday we capped off the trip with a visit to La Brea Tar Pits. I kid you not, bubbling tar from the ground. A museum full of fossils recovered. Back to circle of life talk. LJ offered that we should call the trip: Animals, Past & Present. So be it.

Link to less than 60 of 1,000 pictures taken: here.